Offerings include:
- The Novel's Arc
- Short Story Workshops
Payment accepted through Paypal. Please click on the button below and pay to Clive Matson’s account (associated email address: clive@matsonpoet.com):
The Novel's Arc
In this workshop we'll address the main issue that eludes us in our weekly classes: How well does your novel work as a whole? We'll read one of the participant's novels each month, meet for two hours and track how the essential components are developed throughout the novel. We are able to give a comprehensive picture both of how well the novel is working and what it needs to arrive at a higher level, all in a single meeting. The next month we'll do the same with another participant's novel.
Some of the questions we'll ask: Does your theme grab the reader's attention from the start? Is the voice consistent and do the visuals create a powerful movie in the reader's head? Does the plot keep the reader turning the pages? Do your characters develop in a compelling manner? Does dialogue move the plot forward and deepen your characters, while it's both engaging and seems real? Does the pacing work in concert with the plot? Is the resolution satisfying?
Notice we won't make any marketing decisions about the book (as, more sex, or more violence, or less of either) but only say honestly how we, as conscious, sentient beings, respond to the book.
Prerequisites:
- You have at least draft number one of a novel complete, with line editing already done.
- You can print out five copies of your novel.
- You subscribe to the notion that reading and discussing three or four peers' novels will aid your understanding of your own novel.
- You commit to reading a novel once a month.
Short Story Workshops
We'll examine elements of the short story and see how they are employed in examples of very short stories. These three to four page stories cover six minutes to six months of time. The various strategies used are fascinating. We'll do a draft of at least one story on the first day of this two day workshop (two consecutive Saturdays). On the following Saturday, we'll see how well the story elements are working in your draft. After these two days, you should take off with your short story writing skills. Offered on occasion.
For further information on any of these workshops, or to sign up, please use this contact form.